Rapid cooling device

ABSTRACT

A rapid cooling device, comprising: a) a freezer consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of said freezer to its external environment so that the inside of said thermally insulated compartment is cooled to a relatively low temperature below the ambient temperature of the room, wherein said freezer is adapted to maintain said relatively low temperature; and b) a storage chamber adapted to accommodate at least one item for rapid cooling, wherein said storage chamber and said thermally insulated compartment are connected via one or more connecting members such that cooled air from said compartment can flow in a circulate manner from said thermally insulated compartment to the inner volume of said storage chamber and back said thermally insulated compartment, thereby reducing the temperature within the inner volume of said chamber as a result of temperatures differences between said thermally insulated compartment and said storage chamber.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of rapid coolers. More particularly, the invention relates to a cooling device for rapidly cooling or freezing foodstuff, beverages or any other material needed to be cooled down rapidly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional refrigerators rely on circulation of cold air from a cooling apparatus to items stored within the refrigerators. Circulating air's convection velocity and thermal capacity results in heat being removed relatively slowly from items placed within a cooled volume of a conventional refrigerator. Forced cooling can, for example, be potentially improved by including a circulating fan within the cooled volume to circulate cooled air over the items to cool their contents more rapidly. However, such forced cooling causes additional energy dissipation to occur within the refrigerator by way of air's kinetic energy being converted into heat by way of viscous damping.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system which is capable of rapidly cooling items such as foodstuff and beverages in an economic manner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A rapid cooling device, comprising: a) a freezer consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of said freezer to its external environment so that the inside of said thermally insulated compartment is cooled to a relatively low temperature below the ambient temperature of the room, wherein said freezer is adapted to maintain said relatively low temperature; and b) a storage chamber adapted to accommodate at least one item for rapid cooling, wherein said storage chamber and said thermally insulated compartment are connected via one or more connecting members such that cooled air from said compartment can flow in a circulate manner from said thermally insulated compartment to the inner volume of said storage chamber and back said thermally insulated compartment, thereby reducing the temperature within the inner volume of said chamber as a result of temperatures differences between said thermally insulated compartment and said storage chamber.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises a an adjusting mechanism for allowing to change the dimensions of the inner volume of the storage chamber such that said inner volume can be adjusted to essentially fit the size of the at least one item in a manner that only minimal areas of air gaps may remain within said inner volume. The storage chamber is configured in such a way that the adjusting mechanism will be able to move one or more walls that define the inner volume of said storage chamber in order to increase or decrease the volume. The adjusting mechanism can be utilized using any suitable techniques such as a mechanical mechanism, an electro-mechanical mechanism, a pneumatic mechanism, a hydraulic mechanism, etc.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises a ventilation element for increasing the flow rate of the cooled air between the inner volume of the storage chamber and the thermally insulated compartment of the freezer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises an external storage container for storing at least one item, wherein said external storage container is adapted to fit into the inner volume of the storage chamber such that the cooled air will flow through it via the one or more connecting members either by being connected directly to said one or more connecting members from within or by being connected to them indirectly via an adapter or an extender.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the external storage container can be adapted to fit the shape of one or more selected items, such as to fit the standard form of beverage cans or other common foodstuff packages.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises a control unit for allowing a user to control the operation of the rapid cooling device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the inner volume of the storage chamber is provided with a rotation mechanism for rotating the item(s) needed to be rapidly cooled down.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises one or more materials having a higher heat capacity then air to increase the cooling capacity of the freezer, thereby helping maintaining the relatively low temperature in the freezer. The materials can be plastic bags filled with cooling liquid or other materials known in the field for this purpose.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the storage chamber, at least partially, is located within the freezer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a cooling device, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A schematically illustrates an exemplary implementation of the cooling device of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B schematically illustrates a mechanism for adjusting the inner volume of the storage chamber of the cooling device of FIG. 2A, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2C schematically illustrates the cooling device of FIG. 2A, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates, in a block diagram form, a control unit for operating the cooling device, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a freezer volume vs. final temperature for an exemplary implementation of a cooling device of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a chamber volume vs. final temperature for an exemplary implementation of a cooling device of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a graph showing cooling time vs. final temperature for an exemplary implementation of a cooling device of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a graph showing cooling time vs. chamber volume for an exemplary implementation of a cooling device of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Throughout this description the terms “chamber” or “storage chamber” are used to indicate a container adapted to accommodate items such as foodstuff and beverages in a relatively low temperature conditions (e.g., between 3 to −20 Celsius degrees). This term does not imply any particular shape, construction material or geometry, and invention is applicable to all suitable containers.

Reference will now be made to several embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. Wherever practicable similar or like reference numbers may be used in the figures and may indicate similar or like functionality. The figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

The terms, “for example”, “e.g.”, “optionally”, as used herein, are intended to be used to introduce non-limiting examples. While certain references are made to certain example system components, other components can be used as well and/or the example components can be combined into fewer components and/or divided into further components.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a rapid cooling device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The rapid cooling device generally indicated by numeral 10 in the figure comprises three main parts: a freezer 11, a storage chamber 12 and connecting members 13.

Freezer 11 consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (either mechanical, electronic, or chemical) that transfers heat from the inside of the freezer 11 to its external environment so that the inside of its thermally insulated compartment is cooled to a temperature that is lower than the ambient temperature of the room. According to some embodiments of the invention, the freezer 11 maintains a temperature of at least a few degrees below the freezing point of water. Freezer 11 can cool down the volume of its thermally insulated compartment according to customer needs, e.g., −40° C. or −80° C. The cooling of freezer 11 can be performed by variety of cooling approaches, e.g., by common technique of refrigerator gas and heat exchange element.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a rapid cooling effect depends on the following:

-   -   The ability to transfer cool air form the thermally insulated         compartment of freezer 11 into the inner volume of storage         chamber 12 and back to the freezer in a circulate manner. The         flow rate of the cooled air from the thermally insulated         compartment of freezer 11 to the inner volume of chamber 12 may         affect the timing cooling process. A higher flow rate will         increase the cooling effect of an item located within chamber         12; and     -   The ability to maintain a relatively low temperature in the         freezer 11 (e.g., at least a few degrees below the freezing         point of water) while receiving a heated air from chamber 12;

According to an embodiment of the invention, the ability to maintain a relatively low temperature in the freezer 11 while receiving a heated air from chamber 12 is obtained when the volume of the thermally insulated compartment of freezer 11 is larger than the inner volume of the storage chamber 12. For example, the volume of the thermally insulated compartment of freezer 11 can be 40 liters while the inner volume of chamber 12 can be only few liters (e.g., about 1-10 liters). According to this example, the rapid cooling device may have a storage chamber with maximum internal volume of 10 liters and the freezer can be selected according to parameters such as price, volume and temperature cap abilities.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the ability to maintain a relatively low temperature in the freezer 11 while receiving a heated air from chamber 12 is obtained by placing materials having a higher heat capacity then air to increase the cooling capacity of the freezer 11, e.g., plastic bags filled with cooling liquid or other materials known in the field for this purpose.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the inner volume of storage chamber 12 can be adjusted in order to fit as much as possible to the size of the item(s) that are needed to be rapidly cooled down, this increases the cooling effect (i.e., decreases the cooling timing). The inner volume of chamber 12 can be adjusted, e.g., by moving at least one of the inner walls within chamber 12 that are used to define the inner volume, as described in further details with respect to FIG. 2B hereinafter.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the inner volume of storage chamber 12 is provided with a rotated tray or a rotated compartment, or other rotation mechanism (not shown) for rotating the item(s) needed to be rapidly cooled down. The rotation of the item can increase its cooling effect.

Connecting members 13 connect between the freezer 11 and the inner volume of the storage chamber 12, for allowing cooled air to flow from the freezer 11 to the chamber 12 in a circulate manner, while eliminating or reducing to minimum the loss or gain of heat. For example, connecting members 13 can be in form of an air duct, a conduit or a tunneling member that is made of a flexible adiabatic material such as rubber, plastic, etc. At least one connecting member 13

According to an embodiment of the invention, device 10 comprises a ventilation element (e.g., that can be assembled in chamber 12, in freezer 11 or in between them within the connecting member 13) in order to increase the flow rate of the cooled air that passes through the inner volume of chamber 12 from freezer 11.

According to an embodiment of the invention, cooling device 10 can be configured to operate as follows:

-   -   Placing an item to be cooled down in the inner volume of chamber         12;     -   Adjusting the inner volume of the chamber 12 to essentially fit         the dimensions of the placed item, until obtaining the minimal         possible inner volume;     -   Allowing cold air from freezer 11 to enter into the inner volume         of chamber 12 by turning on the ventilation element in order to         reduce the temperature inside the chamber 12 as a result of         temperatures ratio between the volumes of the freezer 11 and the         inner volume of chamber 12;     -   After a short period of time, stopping the operation of the         ventilation element and the cooled item can be taken out of the         chamber 12 of the cooling device 10 (examples for cooling time         period and their corresponding calculation are described in         further details herein below with respect to FIGS. 4-7).

All the above will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limitative examples:

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary implementation of the cooling device 10, according to an embodiment of the invention. The cooling device illustrated in this figure is particularly convenient because it can be applied as a household appliance. In this embodiment, chamber 12 includes a door 20 or other suitable opening for allowing access to its inner volume. For example, door 20 can be used for the insertion of an item that someone wishes to cool it down rapidly, such as a specific foodstuff or a beverage can.

According to an embodiment of the invention, cooling device 10 includes an electronic control unit 14 for allowing a user to adjust/set parameters such as temperature, the inner volume of chamber 12, cooling times, etc., as well as the selection of preset operating modes predefined for one or more selected items (e.g., special preset for rapidly freezing 1 kg of meat or a special preset adapted for rapidly chilling a typical beer can, etc.).

Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of the electronic control unit 14 is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The control unit 14 may comprise components such as a Processing Unit (PU) 15, a control panel 16, one or more sensors 17 (e.g., temperature sensor). The control unit 14 can also be used to control the operation of a volume adjusting mechanism 18 for physically changing the inner volume of chamber 12.

As will be appreciated by a skilled person, embodiments of the control unit 14 may be implemented as a computer program (i.e., set of instructions) for executing a computer process. For example, the functions of the control unit 14 may be performed by executable code and instructions stored in computer readable medium (not shown) and running on the PU 15. However, state machines, and/or hardwired electronic circuits can also be utilized. Further, with respect to the example processes described herein, not all the process states need to be reached, nor do the states have to be performed in a certain order. In some embodiments, the control unit 14 can be operated remotely by a remote control or via a communication network either in a wired or wireless manner.

The control panel 16 is an interface unit that allows a user to interact with cooling device, such as to choose temperature for cooling, to adjust the inner volume, etc. The control panel 16 can be a touch-sensitive screen or it may include a display for displaying relevant information for the user and/or indication regarding the operation of the cooling device 10.

Sensors 17 (e.g., temperature sensors) provides necessary information to the PU 15 during the cooling process, such as the temperature level within the inner volume of chamber 12. Adjustment of the chamber's interior volume is needed for better energy saving and operation of the cooling device 10.

Referring now to FIG. 2B, an exemplary volume adjusting mechanism is schematically illustrated within the interior of chamber 12, according to an embodiment of the invention. The volume adjusting mechanism includes a movable plate 21 which moves (e.g., up and down) along a rail mechanism 22. In this embodiment, the adjustment of the inner volume of chamber 12 is obtained by moving the movable plate 21 (along the path of the rail mechanism 22) in an up or down direction with respect to the lower end of chamber 12.

As aforementioned hereinabove with respect to FIG. 1, cooled air flows from freezer 11 to chamber 12 via connecting members 13 (e.g., tunneling-like elements or air ducts). The circular openings 23A and 23B schematically illustrates the location where the edge of the connecting members 13 should be connected in order to allow the cooled air to pass through the inner volume of chamber 12. As it can be seen in the figure, the inner volume is having an essentially rectangular form which is defined by a fixed bottom surface 25, the moveable plate 22 and the side walls of chamber 25 including door 20. In this configuration, an edge of a first connecting member 13 is connected at opening 23B of bottom surface 25, while an edge of a second connecting member 13 should be connected at opening 23A of plate 22. Due to the fact that plate 22 moves, at least part of the second connecting member 13 must be able to be extended. For example, connecting member 13 can be in form of a conduit having extending capabilities (in an accordion-like manner). A tray such as shelf 24 can be used in order to place items on top of it. Shelf 24 need to have a mesh—like form for allowing the cooled air to flow (e.g., the cooled air may enter the inner volume of chamber 12 from opening 23B and exit form opening 23A back to the freezer 11). Alternatively, both opening 23A and 23B can be used for entering the cooled air form freezer 11. According to an embodiment of the invention, shelf 24 can be attached to a rotation mechanism that rotates it and accordingly the item placed on top of it. Alternatively, shelf 24 can be the base of a rotatable compartment in which the item is placed (not shown).

According to an embodiment of the invention, freezer 12 and the inner volume of chamber 12 can communicate air via a plurality of connecting members 13 that can pass air via opening located on top, sides or bottom (or any combination thereof) of chamber 12.

As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the volume adjusting mechanism may include one or more motors and corresponding electronic elements (not shown) for electronically and/or automatically adjusting the volume of chamber 12.

According to some embodiments of the invention, at least part of the interior of freezer 11 can be further used for storage of items. FIG. 2C schematically illustrates such a configuration where at least part of the freezer 11 capacity can be used for storage purpose of different items as indicated by numeral 30. In this figure, the front side of the freezer is configured in a door-like form, as indicated by numeral 27. At the inner surface of door 27, the opening for the passage of the cooled air from freezer 11 can be seen (as indicated by numeral 26A and 26B). For example, cooled air flows from opening 26B through the connecting element 13 into the interior of chamber 12 and may return to freezer via opening 26A. The air flow direction is depended on the blowing direction of the ventilation element (not shown).

The ventilation element (e.g., a fan) can be positioned within device 10 such that it will generate an optimal cooled air flow from freezer 11 to the inner volume of chamber 12. For example, the ventilation element can be located at almost any position along the path between the openings 23B and 26B and/or along the path between the openings 23A and 26A (e.g., adjacent to opening 23B).

According to an embodiment of the invention, chamber 12, or at least part of it, can be located within freezer 11. In this embodiment, freezer 11, at least partially, wraps chamber 12, while allowing access to the inner volume of chamber 12 via door 20.

Calculations and Experiments Results

FIG. 4 shows two graphs (one for the freezer at −40° C. and one for the freezer at −80° C.). You can see how final temperature of the cooling device changes as a function of freezer volume (e.g., in this case the chamber volume is 10 Liters).

FIG. 5 shows how the final temperature changes as a function of chamber's volume (freezer volume is 40 liter and its temperature is −80° C.). The reason for choosing 40 liter freezer is because the total dimensions of the rapid cooling device will be suitable for home use (e.g., more or less like a big microwave).

For example, the cooling device temperature (T_(f)) can be calculated according to the following formula (1):

$T_{f}\; = \frac{{M_{c}T_{c}} + {M_{h}T_{h}}}{M_{h} + M_{c}}$

where M_(c)=mass of air inside freezer (cold) M_(h)=mass of air inside chamber (hot) T_(c)=temp (freezer) T_(h)=temp (chamber) T_(f)=cooling device temp

FIGS. 6 and 7 show cooling times for a cup of water (0.3 Liter) to a temperature of 5° C. (indicated as t_(water) in formula 2). Freezer volume is 40 Liter and the temperature is set to −80° C. The chamber volume is adjusted according to the values in the graph of FIG. 7. You can see that for cooling down a cup of water from 25° C. to 5° C. when the chamber volume is adjusted to 2 Liters, it takes something like 2.5 minutes (reasonable time). For example, the t_(water) can be calculated in accordance with the following formula (2):

$t_{Water} = {\left( \frac{{- m}*c_{W}}{U*S} \right)*{\log \left( \frac{T_{1} - T_{3}}{T_{2} - T_{3}} \right)}}$

where m=mass of water U=heat exchange between water and air Cw=heat capacity of water S=heat transfer area T1=water final temp T2=water initial temp T3=air temp

As will be appreciated by the skilled person the arrangement described in the figures results in a cooling device for rapidly cooling items such as foodstuff, beverage or other materials. Adjustment of the chamber's interior volume results in better energy saving and quicker cooling operation than occur by common refrigerators. Moreover, the suggested rapid cooling device consumes less energy than regular refrigerators or freezers during its operation.

All the above description and examples have been given for the purpose of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. Many different mechanisms, methods of analysis, electronic and logical elements can be employed, all without exceeding the scope of the invention. 

1. A rapid cooling device, comprising: a. a freezer consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of said freezer to its external environment so that the inside of said thermally insulated compartment is cooled to a relatively low temperature below the ambient temperature of the room, wherein said freezer is adapted to maintain said relatively low temperature; and b. a storage chamber adapted to accommodate at least one item for rapid cooling, wherein said storage chamber and said thermally insulated compartment are connected via one or more connecting members such that cooled air from said compartment can flow in a circulate manner from said thermally insulated compartment to the inner volume of said storage chamber and back said thermally insulated compartment, thereby reducing the temperature within the inner volume of said chamber as a result of temperatures differences between said thermally insulated compartment and said storage chamber.
 2. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises a an adjusting mechanism for allowing to change the dimensions of the inner volume of the storage chamber such that said inner volume can be adjusted to essentially fit the size of the at least one item in a manner that only minimal areas of air gaps may remain within said inner volume.
 3. A rapid cooling device according to claim 2, in which the storage chamber is configured in such a way that the adjusting mechanism adapted to move one or more walls that define the inner volume of said storage chamber.
 4. A rapid cooling device according to claim 2, in which the adjusting mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical mechanism, an electro-mechanical mechanism, a pneumatic mechanism or a hydraulic mechanism.
 5. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises a ventilation element for increasing the flow rate of the cooled air between the inner volume of the storage chamber and the thermally insulated compartment of the freezer.
 6. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises an external storage container for storing at least one item, wherein said external storage container is adapted to fit into the inner volume of the storage chamber such that the cooled air will flow through it via the one or more connecting members either by being connected directly to said one or more connecting members from within or by being connected to them indirectly via an adapter or an extender.
 7. A rapid cooling device according to claim 6, in which the external storage container is adapted to fit the shape of one or more selected items, such as to fit the standard form of beverage cans.
 8. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises a control unit for allowing a user to control the operation of the rapid cooling device.
 9. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, in which at least part of the thermally insulated compartment of the freezer can be used for storage of item(s).
 10. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, in which the inner volume of the storage chamber is provided with a rotation mechanism for rotating the item(s) needed to be rapidly cooled down.
 11. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises one or more materials having a higher heat capacity then air to increase the cooling capacity of the freezer, thereby helping maintaining the relatively low temperature in the freezer.
 12. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, in which the materials are plastic bags filled with cooling liquid or other materials known in the field for this purpose.
 13. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, in which the storage chamber, at least partially, is located within the freezer. 